Book Recommendation

Tribal Leadership

Authors: Dave Logan, John King, Halee Fischer-Wright

"Most leaders agree that culture is the critical factor in performance, but can't define it, measure it, or change it. As a result, the few organizations that get culture right seem magical, and people who try to replicate their success usually end up frustrated and cynical. This book shows two simple steps—diagnosis and then the best treatment that leaders take to build cultures that can do things most people think are impossible…" – CultureSync, 2012

Download FREE tools related to the ideas presented in this book here.

Article Recommendation

Leadership: "They Never Taught Me This in Medical School"

Authors: Ernest Frugé, PhD, Donald H. Mahoney, MD, David G. Poplack, MD, and Marc E. Horowitz, MD

Published in the Journal of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Volume 32(4), May 2010, pp 304-308

Retrieved from: http://ovidsp.tx.ovid.com/sp-3.10.0b/ovidweb.cgi?T=JS&PAGE=fulltext&D=ovft&AN=00043426-201005000-00010&NEWS=N&CSC=Y&CHANNEL=PubMed

Background: Although the physicians with whom we work all agree that they assume leadership positions, we have found that, in contrast to their familiarity with the biomedical aspects of their physician or physician-scientist roles, they typically do not have (1) a clear concept of leadership as applied to their work, or (2) a methodical approach to addressing leadership challenges. In addition, the terminology and concepts of leadership and organizational behavior commonly used in other professions are alien to them. Although physicians are trained to think through the organic, psychologic, and social implications of a disease and its treatment, they generally are not offered opportunities to learn how to methodically think through group and organizational strategy, where action must fit both the situation and the physician leader. Leadership education is only beginning to be a recognized subject in most medical schools and is not a formalized component of resident or fellowship education. Nevertheless, we know that leadership skills are crucial for physicians.^8–10

Conclusion: Medical education should include a formal component of leadership development. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Core Competencies could be expanded to explicitly include leadership dimensions. Continuing medical education programs could also sustain a coherent and explicit focus on leadership in the continuum after medical school. The fellows’ seminar described above provides an effective approach to preparation of oncology trainees for leadership. – Frugé et al., 2010

MENTOR OF THE MONTH

Dr. May Lynn Quan

Dr. May Lynn Quan is a surgical oncologist at the Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary, Alberta and is an Associate Professor at the University of Calgary. She is also the Interim Medical Director and Surgical Lead of Calgary Breast Health Program.

Dr. Quan completed her medical degree at McMaster University, completing her general surgery residency at the University of Calgary. She then went on to complete a fellowship in Breast Surgery at Memorial Sloan-Kettering in New York, NY, followed by her Masters in Epidemiology at the University of Calgary. She worked at Sunnybrook as a surgeon investigator for 5 years prior to relocating to Calgary in 2009.

Dr. Quan's main clinical interests are in the treatment and management of breast cancer and melanoma. Her research interests focus on care and delivery of cancer surgery, including quality and access. She has published numerous peer review articles and presented at national and international conferences. More recently she has focused on the unique issues surrounding treatment of very young women with breast cancer, presented at ASCO this year.

Dr. Quan is on the executive board of the Alberta Breast Tumour group and has been extensively involved with provincial guidelines both in Ontario and Alberta. She is currently the medical lead for the development of a new comprehensive breast centre in Calgary. She is an active mentor, particularly for medical students and young surgeons contemplating an academic career in oncology.

"Dr. May Lynn Quan is an exceptional Canadian researcher and a fantastic clinician who has an approachable style that continues to encourage new researchers. I have been lucky to work with her and to have had her as a research supervisor. Dr. Quan is more than deserving of recognition for her work as a mentor." – Says Dr. Christine Simmons.

WinC NEWS

Oncologist in the Hot Seat

Have a burning question related to work-life balance, leadership, mentorship, or career development? Start compiling your questions now to have them answered by an experienced & esteemed oncologist. Our next featured oncologist is COMING SOON. In the mean time, feel free to email your questions to our project manager, Rachel, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Also, check out Dr. Gelmon’s responses to your questions from our 1st installment of Oncologist in the Hot Seat in the WinC Repository!

Save the Date

The Women in Cancer Annual General Meeting, which will also serve as the official launch meeting for All in Cancer (AlinC), will take place on Friday May 2nd, 2013 at ORO Restaurant in Toronto, Ontario.

2014 Best of Oncology West Conference

Register now for the Best of Oncology West Conference, taking place on February 28th, 2014 in Vancouver, B.C. This conference will cover the most clinically relevant updates in cancer treatment and will discuss research advances related to numerous tumour types. Early bird rates expire on January 24th, so register today to get this great deal! For any questions, please contact Oncology Education at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

UPCOMING EVENTS

• 29-Nov-2013
  Best of Oncology East 2013 Conference
  Toronto, ON, Canada
  
  
• 7-Dec-2013 to 10-Dec-2013
  2013 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting
  New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
  
  
• 6-Dec-2013 to 9-Dec-2013
  6th American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Conference on The Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities
  Atlanta, GA, USA
  
  
• 10-Dec-2013 to 14-Dec-2013
  36th Annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS)
  San Antonio, Texas, USA
  
  
• 13-Dec-2013 to 15-Dec-2013
  3rd International Gastrointestinal Cancers Conference (IGICC 2013)
  Antalya, Turkey
  
  
• 6-Jan-2014 to 9-Jan-2014
  Third AACR-IASLC Joint Conference on the Molecular Origins of Lung Cancer
  San Diego, CA, USA